Three years after the Vivid Air was launched, RockShox have updated their long-travel forefather and its coil cousin with more responsive rear units that have gained further adjustment. Three new technologies have been introduced into the updated, gravity-specific Vivid and Vivid Air.
The first, dubbed Counter Measure, aims to maximise rear wheel ground contact on small bumps that previously wouldn't have activated the shock. RockShox claim they've reduced the trigger tension from about 60lb of force to "virtually zero pounds".
Another development, first seen in operation with the RockShox BlackBox crew at the 2012 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in Pietermaritzburg, is the separation of the rebound circuits to give high and low speed rebound adjustment.
This brings them into line with the Cane Creek Double Barrel units we reviewed last year. It looks as though the RockShox models could be as easy to adjust as the Double Barrels, and should mean riders can tune their ride to even out small bumps and pedalling turbulence and bigger, heavier impacts.
Finally, the new Vivid and Vivid Air ride higher in their travel. It should help stop shock pack-up on fast, successive impacts, say the team who developed the new technology.
Vivid R2C rear shock
The Vivid R2C weighs 468g (claimed, without spring) and costs US$430/€397. The Vivid Air R2C weighs 586g and costs US$674/€622 (UK prices on both are being confirmed).
They’re available in a whole range of sizes, with a choice of mid or low compression tune. More info at www.sram.com/rockshox.
There's more photos and analysis over at ChopMTB.
